Adventures in Babysitting
by Blue Obsidian
Summary: As punishment for breaking curfew, Mike is forced to babysit his brother and sister. Only, things take a strange turn...


"Hmm." Maggie Seaver hung the phone up in the Seaver  
living room friday night.She frowned unhappily.The  
problem was,she and her husband,Jason,were going to go  
for a romantic dinner out of town,and then to a show.  
But now they couldn't.Ben,her nine year old son and eight year old daughter needed  
a babysitter.It looked like they would  
have to cancel.  
"I can't wait to get to the resturant."Jason Seaver com  
mented as he walked into the living room from the kitchen  
"Gormet food and no kids."he wiggled his eyebrows."And  
no pizza!"  
"Well,honey." Maggie said,bitting her lower lip."It looks  
like we may need the pizza after all."  
Jason looked concerned. "Why? Frederick forget how to make  
Escargot?"he asked.  
"No.Ben and Jackie's babysitter canceled.She came down with  
a cold."  
"Well,she could still come over!"Jason protested unhappily.  
He'd been looking forward to this for a long time now.  
"Jason,not if it's contagous." Maggie gave him a look.  
"That's true."Jason aggreed. "Well,what are we going to   
do?"  
"Looks like we'll have to cancel." Maggie said." Carol is   
staying the night with a friend,and Mike has a date with  
someone named Hotlips."  
"Man,and I was looking forward to the show too."Jason said.  
"Grease is still the word."He said in a deep voice,like   
John travolta.  
"I know,honey.I was too." Maggie sighed again.  
Just then,the phone rang.  
Maggie picked it up. "Seaver residence."Maggie said."Oh."  
She paused. "Hold on a minute.MIKE!" She shouted,phone for  
you!It's you're date!"  
"Okay,Mom!" They heard Mike shout.Then he came down the  
stairs.  
"If that kid moved that fast when i called for him," Jason  
commented,"He'd be grounded much less."  
Maggie chuckled and watched Mike grab the phone.  
"Hello,Hannah?" Mike asked.  
"What?What do you mean you're cousin just got into town?"  
he waited a beat. "So you mean you can't go?" Another pause.  
"Well okay.Yeah--see ya--at school." Mike hung up,dissapo  
inted. "My date canceled.Can you believe that?" He asked  
his parents as though it were sin to break a date with  
Mike Seaver.  
"That's great!" Maggie said happily.  
Jason and Mike gave her blank stares.  
"Gee Mom didn't know ya'd be so thrilled." Mike said  
sarcasticly.  
"No,honey,I'm sory you're date had to cancel,but now we  
have a babysitter for Ben and Jackie!"  
"Oh,yeah!" Jason aggreed happily."Mike can babysit for  
us!"  
Mike frowned.he didn't like the sound of this....it sou  
nded like work!And anything that involved work,Mike tried  
to avoid like he did Math class.  
"Don't I get a say in this?" Mike asked.  
Both parents looked at him then at each other. Maggie s  
hook her head. "Let's call this,Mike,a fair deal since  
someone happened to break their curfew last night."  
"Hey!" Mike protested."I was only five minutes late!"  
"Try,five miutes past midnight.You know you're curfew;  
elleven-thirty on school nights."  
"Well..." Mike began,ready to save his butt from this h  
orrible unearthly punishment of babysitting.  
"No buts.You owe us,Mike,and it's only for one night.It's  
Friday,so Ben and Jackie can stay up till ten o' clock.  
You can order pizza,but stay out of the junk food.And,do  
n't let Jackie have too much Mountain Dew.she gets way  
hyper on it."  
"But--but!" Mike protested as his mother shoved a twent  
y in his hand.  
"Speaking of Ben and Jackie they should be getting back  
from the store."  
On cue,the door opened and Ben and Jackie walked in.Their  
was a convienece store down the street,that sold garbage  
Pail Kids Cards.  
"We're back!" Ben said.  
"Kids,the babysitter canceled on us." Maggie informed the  
two.She expected whoops of horrays,but got two dissapoi  
nted looks.  
"Well,what is this silly string for then?"Ben asked dis  
qustedly.  
"Yeah."Jackie added unhappily. "And don't forget the ice  
cubes with flies in them,Ben."  
Ben nodded."Yeah.And we also got superglue."  
"Sorry to dissapoint ya kids."Jason said with a chuckle.  
"But we have someone even better than a babysitter!"  
"Who?Maddonna?" Ben quipped.  
"No--Mike's gonna babysitt!"  
Ben and Jackie shared a look. It said,*this could get v  
ery interesting*  
"Well."Ben said thoughtfully."If Mike's gonna babysitt,  
do all babysitter rules apply to him,Mom?"  
Mike eyed the two suscpiciously.  
"Mom,you can't leave me alone with these two!"He exclaim  
ed.  
"Why,Mike?"Maggie asked.  
"Because,I taught them all they know about how to really  
annoy a babysitter!"  
Maggie smiled. "Well,then you'll be able to detor them,  
honey. And yes,Ben,all 'babysitting rules' apply to Mike  
as well."  
"Cool!"Ben said with a wiggle of his eyebrows. "This is  
gonna be a fun night after all!"  
Jackie nodded her agreement,her green eyes wide.  
"Allright."Jason had went to get his and Maggie's coats.  
"You kids be good---well,be...uh,nevermind.Just don't set  
fire to anything!"  
"Mom!" Mike said in one last desperate plea."Can't you  
get someone else?"  
"Sorry Mike.We can't,you're our last choice.Besides,you  
don't have anything else to do,do you?"  
Mike thought fast."Homework?" He asked. "Yeah, i got tons  
of homework!"  
"Nice try Mike.You didn't bring home one book this week  
end." Maggie pointed out.  
Drats.Looked like he was trapped.  
Ben and Jackie were giving him looks.they said,*this is  
going to hurt YOU worse than it'll hurt us!*  
"We'll see you guys later.Like your father said,don't try  
to burn the house down!" Maggie gave Ben and Jackie a hug.  
"By Mom!" Ben waved innocently.  
"Yeah,by Mom." Jackie echoed,the same sweet innocent  
look on her face. Mike knew beter. *they are SO not going  
to fool me!*He thought.  
The door was shut.The parents left. Mike was alone.  
Ben smiled. "Well,well Mike." He said.  
"Looks like it's just you me and Jackie!"  
"And some silly string,and super glue--" Added Jackie.  
Ben waved a hand, signiling for her to keep quiet.  
"We don't want Mike to know all our secrets do we?"  
Jackie mulled this over,then nodded once. "Good point!"  
She said cheerfully.  
"Come on,Jackie." Ben motioned to his sister."We'll go to  
my room and trade some off our Garbage Pail Kids Cards."  
"Okay!"They started to head upstairs.  
"Wait!Hold it!"Mike declared,and rushed after them. He stood  
on the bottom step,while Ben and Jackie were on the thir  
d.  
"What,Mike?"Jackie asked.  
"Now,I know what you two are gonna do.You think that I  
don't know huh?" Mike asked.he didn't wait for an answer.  
"I know *every* trick you can think of.I *thought* of  
every trick! So,don't even try anything! Or else."  
"Or else what?" Jackie asked smugly.  
"Hey." Mike warned."You'll know what else....when i think  
of it!"  
Ben rolled his eyes. "C'mon,Jackie.Obviously,*we* can't  
fool Mike.he's the expert."  
"Huh?"Jackie exclaimed."Ben i thought you said Mike was  
getting to old to keep up with you--" Ben was waving his  
hand at Jackie to shut her up. Jackie got the hint.  
"To old to what,Jackie?" Mike asked.  
"Uh...Nothing,Mike,nothing at all." She started up one s  
tep and Mike followed.  
"You can tell me,Jackie. After all,I'm the brother you love most."  
"C'mon,Jackie!"Said Ben urgently  
any  
thing Ben tells you,*you* hafta tell me.That way we keep  
tabs on Ben."  
"It--it was nothing,Mike,really!"Jackie said and took an  
other step.  
"Uh hu.And how is Mr.Lincoln looking to you today?" Mike  
asked.  
"Mike,President Lincoln's dead." Jackie said.  
"Jackie!I ment a five dollar bill!" Said Mike,exsaperated.  
"Oh--I knew that!" Jackie chukled embarresedly."Make it  
a ten."  
"Ten?"  
"Yep.Ten."  
Mike sighed. "Okay,what did Ben mean by I'm too *old*?"  
"Well.." Jackie said and looked at Ben who was motioning   
her up. "When Ben said *old* he ment,uh,wise.'Cause you  
know,you're fourteen and that *is* old and uh uh...."  
"Okay--i get it." Mike nodded. "So you mean I'm too old to  
think of anything new?"  
Ben grabbed Jackie. "We're going to my room,Mike!" They dashed up  
stairs before Mike could say a word.  
"Too old,huh?" Mike asked and headed back to the couch.  
He reached for the remote and flipped the tv on.Nothing.  
He flipped through a dozen channels before finding somet  
hing to watch. *The Rocky Horror Picture Show* "Eh,why not?"  
Mike thought.But halfway through the movie,he fell asleep.  
Ben and Jackie listened for noise downstairs. "Is he asleep?" Jackie asked.  
Ben shrugged. "He's probably hiding and we're probably going  
to get boobytrapped.  
"Didn't think of that." Jackie said.  
They headed downstairs.  
Mike was fast asleep on the couch.  
Ben smiled. "Told ya he's too old."  
"Silly string in contact?" Jackie asked raising a can of it.  
"Contact." Ben agreed and popped off the top of his and sent a spray  
of silly string on Mike.  
Jackie popped hers off as well. Soon Mike was covered in silly string.  
"Come on Jackie i think their's some whipped cream in the kitchen."  
"Yeah there is!" Jackie said following Ben to it. "Carol didn't eat the  
last one."  
Ben laughed. "Mike is going to be sooo mad when he wakes up!"  
***  
Sometime later, Mike woke up groggy. The house was dark and silent.  
"Man I fell asleep." He grumbled, rubbing the side of his face.  
Mike stood and stretched. Suddenly, he forogt he was supposed to be babysittin  
g.  
"Uh oh!" He said. "Hey Benny!" He called. "Jackie, where are you  
two?"  
No answer.  
"Come on this isn't funny!" Mike shouted.  
Still nothing. Mike frowned and charged upstairs. *Where are they?* He wonder  
ed.  
Mike went to Ben's door and opened it.  
He wasn't inside.  
Now Mike was starting to get worried. If he lost his little brother  
and sister his parents would blame it on him, espically since Carol wasn't  
here. Why did they have to go to that show?  
Mike went down the hall to Jackie's room. He opened the door, expecti  
ng to see her and Ben there.  
They weren't inside. Though an opened comic book revealed they *had*  
been inside and not to long ago. Mike decided to head downstairs and search  
for some more clues on where they could be.  
"Maybe they went outside to the backyard" Mike mused and rushed out  
that way.   
"Ben! Jackie!" He yelled. "Come on you two this isn't funny!"  
Mike frowned. "Okay stay calm. They probably went to the ice cream sto  
re or somethin'. Just chill. You can outsmart two little kids,...."  
Then Mike noticed the note on the door. Not from his mom and dad,  
either.  
It read,  
If you want to see your brother and sister again come here.  
There was an address and it was simply signed with an X.  
"Pinch me I'm dreaming!" He said.  
"Okay." Carol replied and pinched him.  
"Oww!" Mike exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"  
"Cara got sick so I came home." She explained, hanging her coat up in  
the closet. "What's that on the door?" Carol asked seeing the note.  
"It's ah, it's ah...." Mike racked his brain to desperately think of  
something.  
"From mom and dad?" Carol asked grabbing the note. She read it and bu  
rst out laughing. "Oh this is rich Mike! Whatdya do get Eddie to help you on  
this crazy little scheme?"  
"Carol! It's not a scheme!" Mike exploded. "I fell asleep after Mom a  
nd dad left. I started looking for Ben and Jackie and couldn't find them any  
where. What am I gonna do? Mom and Dad are gonna blame me!"  
"Duh." Carol said. "It's your fault." She read the note again. "Well,  
we have no choice but to go to this place."  
"It could be dangerous." Mike pointed out.  
Carol rolled her eyes. "What? Are you scared of Eddie?" She asked with  
a laugh.  
"Carol--" Mike began but she didn't let him finish.  
"Yeah right!" Laughed Carol. "Likely story. You didn't want to babysit  
so you got Boner or Eddie to do it right? Why can't you ever tell the truth?"  
"I am!!" Mike yelled. At his face, Carol did a double take.  
"Are you sure?" Carol asked.  
"Uh--seeing that they aren't here would be reason to belive me!"  
"Okay Mike chill. Let's go to this place and check it out." Carol  
dug her coat back out.  
"Wait should we call Mom and Dad?" Mike asked.  
Carol thought a moment. "No not right now. There's no immediate  
danger."  
"I've got to be dreaming!" Mike said. "That's the only explanation."  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Carol and Mike walked to where the address was. It was an old pizza  
place.  
"Mike are you sure you and Eddie didn't rig this whole thing up?" Car  
ol asked.  
Mike nodded. "Swear." He promised, holding his hands up so she could  
see he wasn't crossing his fingers or anything like that.  
Carol studied him. "Allright." She nodded. "Well?" She asked, looking  
at the door.  
"Ladies first." Mike said biting back a grin.  
Carol rolled her eyes and shoved him in. "You're the oldest, suck it  
up and be a man." She declared.  
They walked inside the dimly lit pizza place.  
Carol smirked as she walked in farther. "Hello?" She called in a rath  
er loud voice as though she knew something Mike didn't.  
Suddenly, a guy dressed up like Rocky Horror, from the Rocky Horror  
Picture show popped up, wearing the black lacy outfit with the knee high boo  
ts and curly wig.  
"May I help you?" He asked swinging his arm out as he said it.  
"Yeah." Carol pulled out the note. "This note said we could find our  
brother and sister here?"  
"Oh yes. The ones who superglued my high heels to the pavement when  
I wasn't looking." Said the Rocky Horror dude.  
Carol corked an eyebrow and turned to Mike who just looked amazed.  
"What is this place?" She asked instead of saying what they both tho  
ught.  
"Can't you tell?" He asked in a melodramatic voice. "We're trying to  
recreate the Rocky Horror Picture Show!"  
"Why on earth would anyone wanna do that?" Mike asked increduously.  
"Because darling boy." Coohed the cross dresser. "Rocky Horror is the  
greatest Broadway show there is. No other can top it." He stepped out from  
behind the counter. Mike saw he was wearing black stelletoes.  
"Carol is one of us dreaming?" Mike asked his sister.  
When the Rocky Horror guy pulled out a cane Carol turned to Mike. "Fo  
r our sakes, I hope so!"  
"So kiddies." Said the man. "You can call me Rocky."  
"Okay Rocko." Mike said. "We just want our brother and sister back. W  
ell, our mom and dad do."  
"RockY." Rocky corrected grinning at them. "Rocky Horror." He said wi  
th a swing of his head and in a singsongy voice, "Is still the word." He did  
a few dance steps.  
"I thought *Grease* was still the word!" Carol protested.  
Rocky wannabe laughed. He clapped his hands delighted. "No no no my  
little songbirds. Not at all...."  
With that, Rocky began a little song and ditty of his own.  
Through the little ditty Carol dug around some tapes and managed to  
find a cassete of Grease. She stuck it in the tape deck. "OKay Rocky." She  
warned. "I don't like playing dirty, but all we want are the kids back. If y  
ou don't compile I'll---" With that she turned on the music.  
'You're the one that I want' Blared out.  
Rocky covered his ears. "Okay, okay!" He shrilled. "Stop that thing!"  
Rocky shook his head expressing his disgust.  
"Give us the kids." Mike said. "Then we'll leave and you can go back  
to your day job, cause I higly suggest not quitting it."  
"Allright, allright just make Olivia Newton John shut *up*!" Rocky pl  
eaded and clapped his hands. A girl wearing a bra and a pair of white shorts  
came out, followed by a man in a white tee shirt and boxers.  
"Bring the children out." Rocky said to his fellow comrades.  
They went into the back and brough out Ben and Jackie. They were both  
wearing strange costumes as well.  
"Mike!" They both exclaimed.  
"Hey guys where did you go?" Mike asked them.  
"We just went outside is all." Jackie said. "That guy---" She swung  
her thumb at the Rocky guy had this neat car outside that broke down. He told  
us to watch his car for a minute and we saw all these shoes inside like Mom  
wears. So I wanted to see what the shoes would look like if they were stuck o  
n the pavement so I started supergluing them on." She explained.  
"We were only kidding around." Ben added sheepishly.  
"Be that as it may." Rocky inserted. "You kids cost me over a hundred  
dollars' worth of stelettos. So I just thought I'd---"  
"You just thought you'd take our brother and sister and turn them int  
o performers for a while to remake the money you lost." Carol concluded.  
"Exactly." Rocky beamed at her. "You kids sure you don't wanna stay?  
Broadway's great for new performers." He added.  
Ben and Jackie shook their heads. "No way!" They both exclaimed.  
"Too bad." Rocky said with a long sigh. "Cause you--" He pointed at  
Jackie, "Really do have a great voice. You could go places."  
"The only place we're going." Carol interupted. "Is home."  
"Okay." Rocky paused eyeing Mike. Then he laughed, jumping up in  
front of them, blocking the door. "Do you really think I'm going to let you  
all go? We need more people why do you think I left the address? Mouthy here,  
he motioned to Jackie, "Said she had an older brother and sister, both perfec  
t to play the parts I have in mind for you." Rocky said with a nod.  
He laughed madly. "And you're parents will never know what happened  
to you!"  
"Oh no! What're we going to do?" Mike asked Carol.  
"I---I don't know!" Carol exploded. "We gotta think of something! Or  
were going to be reduced to broadway freaks for the rest of our lifes!"  
"That's right!" Rocky and his buddies came out in a choregraphed dan  
ce, putting costumes and makeup on Mike and Carol. "You'll dance! Dance until  
you die!"  
"No!" Mike shouted trying to pull away from arms that pulled him into  
the mindless dancing. "We've got to fight them! Carol, come on help me!"  
"Mike I can't!" Carol cried back to him. "The dancing---the dancing is  
hypnotic!"  
"No!" Mike was starting to feel the hypnotisim as well. "No Mom and D  
ad will find us they'll find us....someone help! Help us!" Mike kept repeati  
ng, until everything around him was starting to get blurry. People kept shou  
ting his name.  
"Mike!"  
"Mike!"  
"Mike!"  
Suddenly, Mike woke with a start, surprised to find himself on the  
couch, the Rocky Horror Picture show just ending everyone all dancing on the  
tv.  
Ben and Jackie were shaking him awake.  
"What....it was all a dream!" He exclaimed, jumping up. Then he notic  
ed he had silly string all over him. "How did I get silly string on me?" He as  
ked pulling strands of it off.  
"Are you going to sleep *all* day?" Ben demanded. "I just called for  
the pizza."  
"Yeah Mike. And why did you keep saying 'Mom and Dad'll find us Carol."  
Mike blinked. He still felt slightly fuzzy, but relieved to know it  
was all a dream. "I had this dream." He said. "That we were all on broadway  
and we had to keep on dancing..."  
Ben and Jackie exchanged a look. "I dream about going to school in my  
underwear sometimes." Jackie quipped.  
"Yeah..." Mike said slowly. The doorbell rang.  
"I'll get it." Mike said walking over to the door. He opened it shock  
ed to see the same Rocky guy from his dream.  
"You!" Mike yelled, pointing.  
The guy looked confused. "Um....could you tell me how to get to Royal  
Lynn? There's a production of the---"  
"Rocky Horror Picture Show?" Mike asked with a nod. "Yeah well you  
know what? You're not getting us this time!" He slammed the door in the guy's  
face.  
From the other side of the door, they heard the man say, "All I wanted is  
directions. Wacked out kid. Watches to much tv."  
~~The End~~ 


End file.
